


Are You Sure We're Talking About the Same Person?

by weebiewrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien has exactly one braincell but it's working really hard!!, Adrien is an Extreme Romantic, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Mentioned Alya Césaire and Nino Lahiffe, Mistaken Identity, Nino Lahiffe Ships It, Wingman Nino Lahiffe, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-01-29 08:10:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21406987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weebiewrites/pseuds/weebiewrites
Summary: In which Nino prods Adrien into revealing a little too much, but not quite enough, about his crush. Nino attempts to hype him up, inadvertently causing Adrien to have a realization. Shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Ladrien - Relationship, adrienette
Comments: 61
Kudos: 346





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place pre-Glaciator. I may continue with a part 2 and 3, but I will make no promises. Enjoy!

"I can't tell you who my crush is, Nino. Even if I wanted to. The fate of Paris, and possibly the world, won't let me."

"Sounding a _ little _ dramatic there, dude."

Adrien laid on the floor of Nino's living room, watching the light from the T.V. flicker as Nino played _ Mega Mash Mofo's _. Adrien had lost interest in the game about an hour ago, but Nino was still at it. The clicking sounds from the controler were somewhat soothing to him - he found - so he didn't mind him playing too much. Besides, Nino was a great multi-tasker, and - as much as Adrien would have liked for it to stop at the moment - their conversation continued.

"Ok fine bro," Nino said, his controller still clicking away. "You don't have to say her name if you're too embarrassed. But maybe you could describe her..?" Adrien sighed. Nino was his best friend, and he _ did _ feel bad keeping his crush a secret from him. He could at least give him this, embarrassing as it was.

"She's kind... Brave..." Adrien felt a stupid grin forming on his face as he spoke. He couldn't help but to smile like that when thinking of his Lady. "_ Amazing _..." 

"Congrats dude, you just described like, every girl in Paris."

Adrien sat up in objection. 

"No, Nino, you don't get it!" he said, grabbing Nino's shoulders and shaking him. Nino chuckled, but his eyes stayed focused on the screen. "She's one of a kind," Adrien insisted.

"Right." 

"She lights up the room,"

"Uh-huh." 

"She's a superhero!" 

"She's a what?" Nino asked, turning to glance at Adrien.

"She's _ like _ a superhero, I mean." Adrien blurted, blushing slightly at his slip. Nino rolled his eyes.

"C'mon man," he said, sighing. "You gotta be more specific! What's she _ like _?"

"Well..." Adrien hesitated. Where would he even begin? "She's always committed to getting the job done, y'know?" Nino nodded his head, and Adrien took it as an indication to continue.

"She's passionate... And driven. And she always puts others first. She can be a little _ too _ serious sometimes but I think it's just because she cares so much, y'know?" He paused for a moment, before adding, "But I mean, it's not like she doesn't know how to have fun or anything, she just needs a little help sometimes." Nino nodded stoically, as if he were deep in thought.

"What do you like most about her?" He asked. 

"Her smile..." Adrien sighed dreamily. Nino snorted.

"That's obvious." 

"Ok, fine. Her eyes." 

"Her eyes?" 

"She has these gorgeous, striking, baby blue eyes. Eyes that look into your soul." Nino laughed, playfully nudging Adrien with his elbow.

"That's so cliche, man." he said. Adrien pouted. He stood up dramatically, and Nino looked up at him in confusion.

"The way her blue eyes shimmer in the sunlight, the way her pigtails bounce when she moves her head even the slightest bit, the way she smiles…" Adrien felt his face turn red. "I like all of it, okay? I like everything, even if it's cliche. I'm _ in love _ with her, dude."

Nino paused his game.

"Bro..." he said, his eyes blinking wide.

"What?"

"Don't freak out, but I know who you're talking about." 

Adrien paled. Had he really given it away?

"You do?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"I had a crush on her too, before I met Alya." 

Adrien felt his mouth gape. Nino had a crush on Ladybug? Well, it wasn't _ that _ surprising. She was kind of a celebrity, after all. 

"You did?" he asked anyways.

"It's alright, man," Nino said. He patted the floor next to him, motioning for Adrien to sit. Adrien obliged. "Your secret's safe with me," Nino assured him. "I won't even say her name."

Adrien didn't really doubt Nino's ability to keep a secret. Nino was a good friend, and he would stick to his word. Still, Adrien was hesitant.

"Are you sure we're thinking of the same person?" he asked.

"Baby blue eyes and pigtails? Passionate? Driven? Like a superhero? C'mon, man!" 

Adrien grimaced.

"Yeah... I guess that could give it away..."

"Look dude," Nino reached out, putting his hands on Adrien's shoulders. "I'm gonna be real with you. You gotta tell her." Adrien cringed. He had told her, multiple times. She always rejected his advances. Nino seemed to notice Adrien's defeat, and squeezed his shoulders. "Hey," he said, trying to regain his focus. "I have it on pretty good authority that she likes you back." 

"Pretty good authority?"

"Bro, it's obvious!" Nino said, breaking away from Adrien and gesturing wildly. "The way she acts around you? Even just her face is a dead giveaway! Have you seen the way she blushes?"

Adrien thought for a moment. _ Did _ she act strange around him? He wouldn't be able to tell, even if she did. He wasn't great at reading people, especially not girls. Nino had a girlfriend, though, so maybe he was better at it. But did she really _ blush _around him? The mask obscured her facial expressions at times.

"Not really…" Adrien admitted sheepishly. "But maybe I haven't been looking?" Nino's lips drew into a line.

"You gotta tell her." Nino insisted, though, with a flatness to his voice.

"I've tried!"

Nino's eyes widened with surprise, and subsequently narrowed.

"What does 'try' mean to you?" He asked.

"Well…" Adrien _ had _ tried. Many times. Ladybug always shrugged him off. He never really understood what he was doing wrong. He tried with all the Chat in him to be charming and romantic - but it never got through to her. Sometimes, it felt like she took his feelings to be one big joke. "I've flirted, I guess." He said, finally.

"Nah man, girls are dumb." Nino said flatly. "You can't just flirt, you've gotta _ say _ it. If you just flirt, she'll overthink it and wonder if you actually like her or if you're just being friendly. You've gotta be direct and sincere." 

"Direct and sincere?" Adrien asked. He thought he _ was _ being direct and sincere. 

"Like…" Nino seemed as if he were struggling to find the words. Adrien couldn't help but to feel like he was a child in this situation, asking the most obvious yet unexplainable questions to an unsuspecting parent. 

"Ok, so," Nino finally said. "Don't play it up. Don't crack jokes. Make sure she knows you're being serious, and then tell her how you truly and honestly feel." 

Adrien winced. Was he really playing it up? He wasn't meaning to. If he was being honest, he had never really interacted with a girl that he liked before Ladybug. He didn't really know what he was doing. 

"You can't be afraid of your feelings, bro!" Nino continued, grasping Adrien's shoulder. "Don't mask them with all the flirtatious stuff. You go up to that girl and you honestly declare your love to her!" 

Adrien smiled at his friend's encouragement.

"You can do it, Adrien Agreste!" Nino said, slapping Adrien's back. 

“Thank you, Nin-” A thought occurred to Adrien, interrupting his sentence, and his face suddenly fell. "Wait, what did you just say?" he asked.

"Huh? I said-"

"Adrien."

"Uh, yeah." Nino replied, warily. "That's you, dude." 

"She likes... Adrien Agreste."

"That's what I said." 

Adrien swayed.

"You ok, buddy?" Nino asked, his eyebrows furrowing. 

In a sudden burst of energy, Adrien sprinted across the room to the window. He thrusted it open with a heave.

"_I'm-sorry-my-father-just-texted-me-and-he-says-I-need-to-leave-like-right-now-for-a-shoot-gotta-go-bye! _"

With that, Adrien jumped out the window.

"Bro!" Nino yelled after him. "This was supposed to be a sleepover! It's like 3 AM! Where are you even going?" 

Nino gaped as he watched as Adrien dash down the street at mach speed. Adrien didn't respond to his questions. He had to find his Lady. She was probably still out patrolling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part 2! Oh man this was fun to write! This... may turn into an actual full-fledged fic at this point. RIP to my oc WIPs. 
> 
> Adrien is so stupid and you cannot take that away from me so prepare for a wild ride B).

Ladybug _ liked _ him. Ladybug liked Adrien Agreste. It all made sense. Of course she would reject his advances as Chat Noir if she liked _ Adrien _. She thought Adrien and Chat Noir were two different people! 

Adrien ran through the quiet streets of Paris. It was the perfect time of the day - the time when the world seemed to still. No one was around to expect anything from him in the late hours of the night. It was then when he felt truly free to be whoever he wanted. Most of the time, that was Chat. But now? It was Adrien. He could be Adrien.

Running around this late as Adrien was a new experience. His steps resounded loudly as Adrien. He lacked the natural cat-like stealth of Chat Noir. The breeze hit his face differently. It traveled through his hair with much more ease. Without his transformation, he was slower, and he felt fatigue setting in. He actually felt as if he were running out of breath. He couldn't remember the last time felt like that. It was kind of exhilarating. 

A small, black Kwami trailed behind him as he traversed onward through the sleeping city. 

"Plagg, isn't it amazing?" Adrien huffed between breaths. 

"What's amazing, exactly?" the Kwami replied, yawning. "I'll have you know I was having a wonderful dream about cheese before you rudely woke me up for this. Some people like to actually _ sleep _ at night."

"I thought cats were nocturnal." 

"Only when we want to be." 

Normally, that would warrant an eye roll, but Adrien was in too good a mood. He chuckled, instead.

"Plagg, Ladybug likes _ Adrien _!" 

"And _ Plagg _ likes to sleep without being interrupted." 

"No, no- I mean Ladybug likes me _ as _ Adrien." 

Adrien rounded a corner and skidded to a stop. He turned his gaze to the rooftops, looking for Ladybug. She wasn't there. Adrien sighed, and took a moment to catch his breath. Plagg floated in front of his face, his arms crossed. 

"I don't get it." he said, flatly. Adrien groaned. It _ was _ kind of confusing. He hadn't completely worked it out himself, if he was being honest.

"Ladybug likes me," he started, carefully. "But she doesn't _ know _ that she likes me because she likes Adrien, and she doesn't know that I _ am _Adrien." Adrien looked at Plagg, who met him with a blank stare. Adrien smiled sheepishly.

"Wait, _ you're _ Adrien?!" Plagg gasped, after a moment of silence. He was being sarcastic.

"Very funny, Plagg."

Adrien surveyed his surroundings once again. He was following their usual patrol route. He was bound to find her eventually if he kept going, but his chest and legs protested at the thought. He thought about transforming into Chat, but quickly dismissed the thought. Ladybug liked Adrien, after all.

Adrien took a deep breath, and continued into the street, falling into a steady jog. Plagg stayed behind for a few seconds, likely in protest, before zipping in front of him.

"How is it, again, that you _know_ she likes you?" he asked.

"Well, because Nino said it was obvious." 

"I didn't know Nino was friends with Ladybug." Adrien paused for a moment. Now that he thought about it, how _ did _ Nino know that she liked him? When did _ he _ have a chance to see them together? Well, there was constant news coverage during an Akuma attack, and his girlfriend did run the Ladyblog. Maybe he picked it up from her.

"It doesn't matter, Plagg. I have to-" 

_ Zzzzzr._

Adrien panicked when he heard the familiar zip of his Lady's yoyo. He lurched to a stop, dead in his tracks. He wasn't ready. Oh, _ God _, he wasn't ready. 

He glanced upwards, just in time to see the black silhouette of the girl he loved pass over him. Her figure was perfectly outlined in the night. She was graceful, as always. She flew through the air as if she owned the sky - as if she commanded it. She flew over him, and time seemed to stop. And then, she was gone.

"Wait! Ladybug!" Adrien shouted. He already felt his face getting hot. What was he doing? This was crazy!

Adrien hoped, for a moment, that Ladybug hadn't heard him. He stared up towards the rooftops. After a few moments, he saw Ladybug’s figure appear on the edge of the roof in front of him. Plagg slipped into Adrien's pocket as she dove off of the building, landing in front of him. Adrien nearly swooned when her face came into view, dimly illuminated by the warm glow of the streetlight above them. She was so beautiful.

“Adrien?” she asked, approaching him warily. “What are you doing out here so late? Is something wrong?” Adrien paled. He hadn’t thought through what he was going to say. He didn’t actually think he would get this far.

“Oh, well,” he said, stumbling over his words. “You know, just out for a walk…” 

“At three in the morning?” Ladybug tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, causing her bangs to shift. She looked at him inquisitively. Her bright blue eyes shone even in near darkness. Adrien felt like his heart was going to pop out of his chest. He chuckled nervously.

"Well… You know me…" he said, before immediately cringing. Ladybug didn't know him as someone who would go out for a walk at 3 AM. That was Chat Noir. He was Adrien. "I love walking… and stuff. It's totally something I do. All the time." God, he sounded like an idiot. He _ was _ an idiot. Plagg stirred from inside his shirt pocket, seeming to concur. 

"Oh." Ladybug said, slowly. "Well, it's really not safe to be out so late…" She peered from side to side warily, as if looking around for danger. 

"Of course it's safe. Paris is always safe with you around." Adrien said, surprisingly without missing a beat. Ladybug’s eyes widened. Was she… Blushing? It was too dark to tell. A smile formed on her face. _ That _ smile. The one that found its way on her lips clumsily. The smile that contrasted her confident, heroic demeanor. The one that gave a glimpse into the girl beyond the mask. It was the smile he adored.

"That's really sweet," she said. "But even _ I _ can't save you from the horrors of sleep deprivation. You should really go home and get some rest." 

"Well actually, I-"

"Oh! I'll even take you home! It'll be much faster that way. You're probably really tired, huh?" 

Before Adrien could get another word in, Ladybug scooped him up into her arms, bridal-style. Adrien yelped in surprise as she leaped upwards, dashing onto the rooftops. He flushed a shade brighter than her suit. It was a little embarrassing to be held like that, but it was nice being in her arms. She was so close. She was so close that he could feel the rising and falling of her chest as she breathed. He could feel her warmth.

Ladybug was fast. Even without using her yoyo, she leaped from building to building with ease. The two flew through the city, and Adrien savored every minute of it. He looked up at his Lady, who was focused onward. She wore a small smile on her lips, but it was bright and full in her eyes. Adrien wondered if she felt the same freedom he did as Chat Noir. He got lost in her eyes, for a moment. Eventually, he followed her gaze, only to realize that they were nearly at the Agreste mansion - his house. Once they got there, she would leave him, vanishing into the night.

“Wait..!” He shouted to be heard over the wind rushing by them.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” Ladybug said, smiling confidently. She held him closer, and Adrien nearly felt faint. 

“No, I-” 

He _ had _to do it. He had to tell her. 

“I have something to tell you!”

Direct and sincere.

“What?” Ladybug tilted her head to look down at him.

“I’m in love with you!” 

Adrien felt a sudden jerk of motion. The wind sounded louder now, and he felt the sudden urge to scream. Buildings blurred by him.

Oh. 

He was falling. 

Adrien flailed. He narrowly resisted the urge to transform and save himself as he plummeted down towards the street. Ladybug was right there. She wouldn’t let him fall.

It then occurred to Adrien that _ she _was the one who dropped him in the first place. 

_ Zzzzzr._

Adrien felt another jerk of motion. This one was accompanied by pain. A yoyo string wrapped around his torso stopped him from splattering onto the ground. However, in the process, it had nearly given him whiplash - and Adrien felt as if his back had cracked so thoroughly that he wouldn’t be needing to go to the chiropractor for a while. 

“Oh my God!” He heard from above. “I’m so stupid! Er- sorry! I’m so sorry!” Ladybug stood on a building above him. She loosened the string too quickly, and Adrien hit the ground with a thud. Ladybug landed next to him shortly afterwards. She knelt down beside him. “Are you okay?” she asked urgently. 

“Uh, I think so…” Adrien sat up, rubbing the back of his head. Had he hit it? “Did you... drop me on purpose?” 

“No!” Ladybug shouted in response. A little too loudly. “Of course not, I would never do that! You’re too pretty-” Ladybug spoke quickly, stumbling over her herself. She gestured wildly with nearly every word. It was strange, he had never seen her act like this, yet it seemed somewhat familiar. “I mean, pretty fragile! Being a civilian and all! It would be irresponsible of me to play a prank on you like that!” 

“Oh, well that’s a relief.” Adrien replied, smiling. At least she hadn’t dropped him in response to his confession. 

“I- uh…” Ladybug started. ”What was it you said up there? I just want to make sure I heard you right, because I _ thought _ I heard you say you were in love with me, but that’s crazy, right? I mean there’s no way that you could _ possibly _-” 

“No, that’s right.” Adrien turned to look at her. Ladybug wore an expression he couldn’t read. He had never seen it before. “I’m in love with you, Ladybug. I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you. That’s why I was out tonight. I was looking for you. I wanted to finally confess my feelings.” Adrien felt himself blushing as he spoke. But, he felt at peace with his words. It was a relief to finally say it. “I was hoping that we could maybe… Go on a date?”

Ladybug shot up suddenly. She turned, almost robotically, regarding him with too wide a smile. 

“Would you excuse me for a moment?” she said through clenched teeth.

“Um, sure-” Before Adrien had the chance to fully say the word, Ladybug dashed away. She ran up the street for a few yards and then turned into an alleyway. Adrien looked down at Plagg, who had peeked out of his pocket. Plagg simply offered him a half-hearted shrug. Suddenly, a piercing, ungodly screech filled the air, causing both Adrien and Plagg to jump. It was over in a few seconds, and moments later, Ladybug emerged from the alleyway. She walked towards Adrien calmly, with a small smile on her face. 

“Adrien,” she said as she approached. “I’m really flattered.” Adrien felt a pit grow in his stomach. That was what people said before they rejected someone. “But, I’m a superhero. If we dated, I would be putting you in danger.” Ladybug leaned in closer. She grabbed his hands, putting them in hers. “I couldn’t do that to you.” 

“So, that’s a no..?” Adrien sighed. Ladybug looked down, her mask creasing upwards with her eyebrows. 

“If things were different…”

“Different?” 

“Well, if Hawkmoth wasn’t terrorizing the city, and if I wasn’t responsible for saving said city…” Adrien smiled.

“So, once you defeat Hawkmoth,” he said, trying not to sound too excited. “Which will definitely happen any day now, because you’re amazing…” Ladybug stared at him, eyes blinking wide. And then, she smiled that clumsy smile. Adrien felt his heart melting.

“Once I defeat Hawkmoth.” she repeated. 

The two stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity. All the while, Adrien grinned stupidly. Nino was right. Ladybug did have a crush on Adrien. 

“It’s late,” Ladybug finally said. “Do you need any help getting home, or..?”

“I think I’ll be alright.” 

“Right,” she said, sounding a bit dejected. “Well, goodnight.” Ladybug turned to walk away. She stopped for a moment, turned around, and lightly kissed Adrien on the cheek. Then, she zipped away, vanishing into the night.

Adrien reached up and touched his cheek. It still felt warm from the kiss - and he had a feeling it would stay like that for a while. 

“Well kid, congrats. Now all you gotta do is beat the evilest supervillain in all of Paris. I’m sure it won’t be that hard.” Adrien laughed, but it wasn’t that funny. 

“Plagg, transform me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Ladrien is actually my least favorite corner of the Love Square. That being said. I freaking love writing it. These two are dorks. Dorks I tell you. And I love them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been a while but I want to continue this story! It will be at my own pace though, so I can't really promise frequent updates.  
Not a fan with how this chapter turned out - Marinette's perspective is a little harder for me to write, for whatever reason. Regardless, I hope it's enjoyable!

"What… was _that?"_

Ladybug shrieked, nearly jumping out of her suit, as she spun to face her partner. Where had he even come from? He had a bad habit of sneaking up on her, especially during the dead hours of the night. Normally, it wouldn't phase her. But today was not a normal day. 

Chat leaned forward against his staff, his chin resting on his hands which covered the top of it. He regarded her with a smirk, which was a rather common look for him. But, there was something else there **—** something that Ladybug couldn't quite read.

"Chat Noir!" she gasped. "You scared me! I thought you said you weren't coming tonight." Chat blinked wide, his smirk vanishing for a moment.

"Ah- well**—** um…" he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "My plans got... cancelled." he said, very unconvincingly, with what she thought was a flash of guilt on his face. "But that's beside the point!" 

Ladybug glanced down at the gloved finger which was suddenly pointed right in front of her face. 

"I saw you with that Agreste boy." Chat said, his eyes narrowing into a cat-like slit. Ladybug stiffened.

Of course Chat Noir had seen it. Of course he would happen to be just late enough to stumble upon her acting like a total doofus in front of her crush. And of course, he was going to tease her about it.

"You… saw that?" She squeaked, her face turning pink.

"All of it."

"I was just saving him!" It wasn't a total lie. She was doing her due duty as a superhero, at first, recovering a runaway adolescent boy who was out way past curfew. It wasn't _ her _ fault that he had to go and confess his love to her. Chat snickered.

"Saving him with a kiss?" He said, voice dripping with smugness. He raised an eyebrow at her, slowly inching closer to study her reaction.

Ladybug wished she was wearing the Turtle Miraculous so she could retract her head into its shell. Instead, she turned her head away, unable to handle the scrutiny of his stare. She had no doubt he was getting a sadistic pleasure out of teasing her like this, and was reveling in her embarrassment.

"It's not like that!" She insisted, but she knew her defense was useless. Chat knew her well enough to right see through it. Though, if she was being honest, most anyone with half a brain could probably see through it. She tried to find more words and come up with a reasonable explanation, but just ended up stuttering, making her case even less believable. The blush covering her face and the top of her ears wasn't doing her any favors, either.

As if he weren't already invading her personal space, Chat leaned even closer.

"Blond hair, green eyes?" He cooed in a sickeningly sweet, yet taunting voice. "_ Purhaps _ you have a type, M'lady." 

Ladybug didn't even need to look at him to know what face he was making. She reached her hand out and gently pushed his face away from her. 

"Not a chance, Kitty. I only have eyes for one-" Ladybug caught herself and cringed. She slowly peered over at Chat, whose face was beaming underneath her fingers. Before she could open her mouth to correct herself, Chat interjected.

"So you admit it!" He said, pointing an accusatory finger at her. His grin was way too wide, and his eyes lit up as if they had stars behind them. Was it just her, or did he sound way too excited about this?

Ladybug hunched over, heaving a sigh. She dropped her hand, and Chat nearly dropped with it, as he had been leaning too far into it in his excitement. He quickly recovered, though. He turned on his heels and struck a rather dramatic pose. With his back bent backwards and his face slightly tilted upwards, he hugged himself with one arm, and positioned the other pointing towards his face, twirling an imaginary rose in his fingers. Ladybug rolled her eyes. He definitely got that from an anime.

"Alas, My Lady has scorned my love, and has fallen for another!" He started, adopting a haughty sounding tone. He paused for a moment, not-so-discretely looking over his shoulder to gauge her reaction. "But," he continued, striking a different, but clearly still anime-inspired pose. "My spirit is not so fragile. Do not worry about me, for, in time, I will find my way again. The road will be treacherous, and full of sorrow…" Chat wiped away an imaginary tear, prompting another eye-roll. "But, someday, my heart will move on.

"Ladybug, I accept your rejection!"

There were so many words dancing on Ladybug's tongue that she could have said in response to Chat's spectacle, but the only thing that came out was an exasperated sigh.

"You're so weird." She eventually said after he flashed her a cheeky smile, indicating that he had dropped the act. Chat ignored her comment.

"Now that that's over with," he said, sounding way too satisfied with himself. He slid in closer, once again ignoring her personal space (sometimes she wondered if he even knew what that was), and with his face lit up like a schoolgirl gleefully engaging in the latest gossip, asked, "What do you like about him?"

Ladybug groaned in response, bringing up her hand to her forehead with a smack. Of all the people in Paris, Chat was at the top of her list of people she didn't want finding out about her crush, second only to Adrien himself. Besides the fact that they weren't supposed to know anything about the other's identity, being constantly teased and probed by her partner about it was not something she was looking forward to. Especially if he was going to make that face every time. 

"I'm not going to tell you." She said with a huff. Chat's face dropped.

"Wha-a-at?" He whined. "Come on, Ladybug! I already found out, so what's the harm!" Strangely, his eyes looked like that of a lost puppy dog's for a moment. "Everybody has celebrity crushes, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, unless you happen to know him in real li-" And there were those prying, sneaky, cat eyes again. 

"Too close!" Ladybug said, shoving him away. He wasn't actually too close, but Ladybug needed him to stop talking at the moment. "Chat, you know we can't know about each other." She warned. Chat pouted. 

"Fine," he said, frowning and turning away. "I guess I can only assume you just like him because he's a stinky, pretty-boy loser.”

"Stinky?" Ladybug gasped, suddenly insulted. Her mind immediately went into a frenzy as she began to ramble and defend him. "Take that back! I'll have you know that Adrien smells like fresh picked roses! He's way more than just a pretty face, and he's definitely not a-" 

Oh. Chat wasn't pouting anymore. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning. Of course. He was just trying to get her to talk about him. Now it was Ladybug's turn to pout. She felt her face burning from frustration. 

"He's more of a gentleman than you could ever hope to be," she spat, turning away. She didn't want to see that stupid smirk on his face when he realized he had won in making her spill more than she wanted. She waited for his snarky comeback, but there was just silence. Uncomfortable silence. 

Had she gone too far? No, this was Chat. He was always quick with the recovery. But after a few more moments of painstaking silence, she wasn't completely convinced. 

Ladybug peeked over her shoulder to see a completely deflated Chat. His ears were flat on his head, his gaze pointed downwards. 

"Chat..?" She said, breaking the silence. "Maybe I shouldn't have-"

"No, I'm sure you're right Ladybug." He said, clearly forcing out a nervous chuckle. "That's okay. I'm happy for you for finding such a great guy." Chat hugged himself and turned away. 

Ladybug realized she had definitely messed up. 

"Anyways," he started. "I'm gonna go ahead and patrol. I… have a lot of ground to cover, since I'm so late." He grabbed his staff out of his belt, and it extended. "See ya tomorrow." 

"Chat, wait-" Ladybug reached out, but he was already catapulting to the next rooftop. 

Ladybug didn't feel like patrolling after that. It was already 3 in the morning, and their patrols usually went from 1 to 4, so she decided it wouldn't be the worst thing if she turned in for the night. She landed on her balcony with a quiet thunk. 

"Tikki, de-transform." The Kwami immediately flew out of her earrings, and floated in front of her face. With her transformation released, Marinette felt her eye bags come back as the fatigue hit her all at once. She couldn't help herself from yawning loudly. 

"Well that was a total bummer." She said, stretching. Her night had been nearly perfect until Chat showed up, and now that was all she could think about. "Do you think I really hurt his feelings, Tikki?" Tikki nodded solemnly. 

"He seemed really upset," she noted. 

Marinette groaned. She didn't mean to. He was the one making _ her _ upset up until that point. To be honest, she didn't know Chat could even have his feelings hurt like that. He was always quick to banter with her. 

"I think you should apologize to each other," Tikki said. "You both went a little too far." Marinette nodded in agreement, stifling another yawn. "But first, you should get some sleep. You have school tomorrow after all."

School. 

Adrien. 

She was going to see Adrien at school tomorrow. 

The squeal that suddenly came out of Marinette's mouth sounded almost exactly like the whine of a tea kettle. She had been relatively good at keeping herself composed about everything that happened with Adrien, putting on her “hero” face to maintain her sanity, but now the mask was off, and Marinette was unable to control the whirlwind of butterflies dancing around in her stomach. Adrien had asked her out! He had said that he loved - no, was _ in _love with her! 

But, he asked her out as Ladybug, not as Marinette. The glee she was feeling suddenly turned into dread. He didn’t know that Marinette was Ladybug. He didn’t know that when he asked Ladybug out, he was actually asking Marinette out! She paled.

She was going to see Adrien, and she was going to have to pretend that he didn’t ask her out. She was going to see Adrien, and she was going to have to pretend that he didn’t confess his love to her. But he had, and she could barely contain herself. A furious blush washed over her. She had kissed him. She had kissed Adrien! How was she going to be able to face him tomorrow? How was she going to act normal around him ever again?

“Earth to Marinette! Earth to Marinette!” Tikki waved her small arms in front of her, trying to get her attention. 

“Tikki! What am I going to do?” Marinette said, clutching her head with her hands. “Adrien is in love with Ladybug! And Ladybug’s really Marinette! But Adrien doesn’t know that Ladybug is Marinette and now _ Marinette _ is going to have to see _ Adrien _ everyday knowing that _ Adrien _ is in love with _ Marinette _and-” Tikki floated in front of Marinette’s hands which were gesturing wildly as she spoke. She gently reached out and touched one hand. 

“First of all, breathe,” the Kwami said, a hint of exasperation coming out of her small voice. Marinette forgot that they had already had this exact conversation in the alleyway, earlier. Marinette took a deep breath in, practicing the breathing exercises her mom had taught her. “It’ll be alright, Marinette! Just be yourself, like always!” Marinette moaned. 

“Being myself _without_ the knowledge of Adrien’s undying love for me involves me stuttering and mumbling like an idiot whenever I so much as hear his name! Imagine how worse it’s gonna be now that I know that he likes me!” 

“It doesn’t have to be worse, Marinette!” Tikki insisted. “Think of it this way. Now that you know that he likes you, you don’t have to worry about what he thinks of you. He already said it! He’s in love with you!”

“He’s in love with Ladybug,” Marinette corrected with a sigh.

“But you _ are _Ladybug, silly! Through and through! He might not know that right now, but it doesn’t change anything!” Marinette eyed the Kwami suspiciously. “You stumble over yourself because you’re so worried about what he’ll think of you, but now you know, so you don’t have any reason to not be confident in yourself!” Marinette felt her face warm up, and she couldn’t tell if it was from blushing, or just because she was so tired. 

“I hadn’t thought of it that way.” She said shyly. “Maybe… tomorrow won’t be so bad.” Tikki smiled at her warmly, before ushering her off to bed. Marinette wobbled her way down into her room and crashed into her bed. Before passing out, she touched her fingers to her lips, remembering the warmth of Adrien’s cheek from earlier that night. She fell asleep grinning from ear to ear.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a totally different direction planned for this scene but the characters and their pesky feelings totally hijacked it so alas, a hint of Ladynoir angst. I'm going to note once more that this is Pre-Glaciator, so Chat and Ladybug are not super developed in their friendship/trust levels and are kind of treading over each others boundaries at the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *Abandons fic for 6 months*
> 
> Also me: *Writes 3000+ words and 2 chapters for it in 24 hours and is completely unable to resist posting both back to back immediately*
> 
> Ladies and gentlemen, I am what they call... a burst writer. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Adrien didn't sleep that night. When his alarm went off at 6:30, he didn't even stir. He just kept staring up at the ceiling. Eventually, Plagg floated up from his spot on the pillow and hit the snooze button for him. When it went off again at 6:45, Adrien still made no moves to get up, despite being wide awake.

"Ok, kid. Come on. You can't mope forever." Plagg said, slapping Adrien's cheek. Due to Plagg's tiny Kwami arms, though, the slaps felt more like aggressive taps to Adrien.

"I'm so stupid." He said, turning away from Plagg and curling into a ball.

"I'm not gonna deny that, but if you don't get up soon, Nathalie's gonna come up here and drag you out of bed whether you like it or not. Better to avoid a scolding." 

Adrien groaned. He felt like trash. He abandoned bro time to go confess to a girl, and while he wasn't completely rejected by her, she still didn't say yes (he probably should have expected that, but Adrien wasn't one to think before he acted). And then, of course, he had to go and try to play wingman for himself _ as _ himself, instead of just quitting while he was ahead, because he never knew when to stop and he would never learn, and now Ladybug hated him and Nino probably hated him too and everybody else would hate him when they found out what an awful friend and partner he was and he would never make friends ever again and it was all his fault and- 

"Adrien!" Adrien's eyes refocused as he blinked the tears away. Plagg hovered in front of his face with his arms crossed. "You're over-thinking. Snap out of it. I'm hungry." 

"Oh," Adrien said. Moments later, he was up, fetching a piece of cheese for Plagg to snack on. Minutes later, he had thrown some clothes on, and rushed into the bathroom to fix his hair. He couldn't really do anything about his bloodshot eyes, but it wasn't exactly a rare sight to see him with such. Nino had once suggested that he and Marinette make an "always tired" club, as they both frequently had visible bags under their eyes when they showed up for school.

"Fresh picked roses, huh?" He mumbled as he reached for his deodorant. It was extra strength. His father got it for him shortly after he became Chat Noir. He always thought it smelled more ocean-y, but he never had a good sense of smell to begin with (he wouldn't be able to handle Plagg's cheese addiction if he had). 

Once he was done in the bathroom, he thumped downstairs to breakfast, which he was late for. Nathalie began to chide him, but she stopped when she got a good look at his face. 

"Do I really look that bad?" Adrien whispered into his shirt when she left the room.

"Like absolute shit, kid." 

Adrien braced for it, but he still stiffened when his father entered the dining room, Nathalie tailing behind him.

"Adrien." He said, looking the boy up and down. "You're not sleeping well, again?" It was a question, but it didn't really sound like one.

"No, I slept fine. I just poked myself in the eye putting my contacts in this morning." His father looked unimpressed with his answer. 

"Both eyes?" He asked flatly. 

"I guess I just have bad luck." Plagg stirred inside Adrien's shirt at his response. Adrien's father narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but said nothing else, and walked back out of the room. Nathalie followed, mumbling something about doing another sleep study. Great.

Ever since Adrien had decided that he wanted to go to school, his father demanded that he be there a half hour early every day in order to "become familiar with the material to be covered" and "make the most of time." His father didn't seem to realize that his classroom door was locked until the teacher arrived, so he usually spent the first 10-15 minutes of his day dawdling around in an empty hallway. Most of his classmates didn't start to show up until 10 minutes before homeroom. Mylene was usually the earliest (besides him, of course), followed by Nathaniel, and then Kim and Max. Sabrina sometimes came in early too, to prepare Chloe’s seat (this consisted of her dusting, disinfecting, and then polishing her bench and desk). Eventually, everyone started showing up one after another. Today was no different, of course. Nino used to be one of the later ones to show up, but since he had started dating Alya, they had been walking to school together, and he had been decently on time. When Nino walked in, Alya in hand, Adrien suddenly froze. 

He very quickly realized that he hadn’t thought about Nino since earlier that morning, and he had no idea what he was going to say to apologize. Nino, as if oblivious to Adrien’s horrible betrayal, smiled widely as he entered the classroom and plopped down in the seat next to him. 

“Hey man,” he said, seemingly without a care in the world. Adrien flushed. 

“About last night,” he managed to start. Nino perked up immediately, a sly smile spreading across his face. 

“You manage to go see your little lady?” Adrien stiffened. 

“Uh… how did you..?”

  
“A mandatory photoshoot at 3 AM is unbelievable, dude. Even for _ your _dad.” Adrien chuckled nervously. He was never really good at coming up with believable excuses. It was a wonder no one had figured out he was Chat Noir by now. “Besides, I just know you too well.” Nino added, nudging Adrien’s arm with his elbow. 

“So you’re not mad at me?” Adrien asked.

“Bro! Of course not!” Nino said. He seemed offended by the very notion of being mad at Adrien. “You had to leave in a few hours anyway, right?” 

That was… true. Adrien and Nino’s “sleepovers” were never actually sleepovers. There was no way Adrien’s father would ever let him sleep over at a friend’s house. Nino still didn’t know how he did it, but ever since Adrien accidentally let it slip to him that he snuck out of his house with ease on a near nightly basis, Nino insisted that he should come over every once in a while. Adrien would show up after curfew and leave at 6 AM, so he could sneak back into his room before he had to “wake up.” 

“Yeah…” Adrien finally admitted. “But still-”

“Nah man, don’t worry about it. I just want to know how it went! Did you tell her?” 

“Uhhhhh…” All of the events of the previous night suddenly crashed violently into his head. “Tell her what?” He asked, his mind drawing a blank as to what exactly Nino was referring to. 

“Dude! What we talked about!” 

Oh, right. Direct and sincere, or whatever. 

“Yeah.” He said, feeling his cheek, the one Ladybug had kissed, warming up. Despite everything else that had happened, thinking about that kiss made him smile. 

“And?” Nino seemed to be growing more impatient by the minute. “What did she say? She likes you back, right? Like I said?”

“I think.” Nino stared at him flatly.

“You think?” He asked. 

“I’m… pretty sure.” 

  
Nino beamed. 

“So,” A grin lit up his face. “You guys are a thing now, right?”

Adrien sighed. 

“Unfortunately, no.” He admitted, sinking into his chair. While Ladybug didn’t outright say no, he didn’t have a chance until Hawkmoth was defeated (and a small voice in his head whispered that he wouldn’t have a chance even then, but Adrien ignored it). Nino’s face fell for a moment, before becoming frantic.

“You… asked her out, right dude? Like, on a date? Don’t tell me you forgot to ask her out!” He said, his voice rising to a volume that Adrien wasn’t quite comfortable with in his current setting. He looked around, and caught a few stares. 

“Of course I asked,” Adrien said in a hushed voice. Thankfully, Nino seemed to catch on, as he widened his eyes, and quickly scanned the room before moving closer to Adrien to hear. “I may be a little inexperienced, but I’m not clueless, dude!” Nino stared at him in disbelief. 

“You asked her, and she said _ no _?” He said, carefully keeping his voice low.

“I mean… _ Kinda _?” Adrien involuntarily scratched the back of his neck. “It’s… a little more compli-” 

“Wait, wait, wait, dude.” Nino interrupted. “Let me make sure I’m getting this straight. You asked _ Marinette _ out, and she said _ no _?”

“Marinette..? No, I-” 

Oh.

_ Oh. _

Everything happened all at once. 

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. 

_ [“I know who you’re talking about.”] _

_ ["Baby blue eyes and pigtails? Passionate? Driven? Like a superhero? C'mon, man!"] _

_ [“I had a crush on her too, before I met Alya.”] _

Nino thought he was talking about Marinette. Nino thought Adrien had a crush on Marinette. Which meant that Nino had encouraged Adrien to ask Marinette out, because Nino thought that Marinette**—**

Someone gasped loudly from behind him. Adrien turned around, and, to his horror, found Alya leaning in closer than she should have been. Close enough to eavesdrop. Adrien met eyes with Nino, and found that he seemed just as shocked as he was. Of course, Nino had kept Adrien’s secret. Even from his girlfriend, like a true bro. At this particular moment in time, however, Adrien wished he had told her. Adrien opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late.

Alya slammed her hands down on her desk, stood up, and _ yelled. _

“Adrien asked Marinette out,” she started. 

Everyone’s eyes were suddenly on him. 

“And she said _NO_?”

…

…

…

_ Oh God. _

Nearly every person in the room gasped in disbelief. Even Ms. Bustier. And then, he was bombarded.

“No way! Is that true, Adrien?”

“Everyone knows Marinette is head over heels for you! What did you do to her?”

“She has worse taste than I thought if she rejected _ you _. You’re way too good for her anyways, isn’t that right, Adri-kins?”

Adrien felt like laughing, crying, and screaming, all at the same time. Nino noticed his distress and immediately turned to face the crowd. 

“Guys, guys, guys, guys!” He said, trying to calm everyone down. “Hold on! Give him some space!” However, Nino was far too soft spoken to be heard over all of the yelling. Eventually Alya stepped in to help him.

“EVERYBODY SHUT UP!” She screamed. Her voice was scarily loud and commanding. It frightened some, most notably Mylene, but it was nonetheless effective in making everyone quiet down. 

And it was at that exact moment that Marinette walked into the classroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we finally have some pay off. This is the first scene I thought of when planning this fic :)
> 
> Summary of this chapter:
> 
> Adrien: "But... I thought it was bros before hos?"  
Nino: "Unless the ho *is* a bro. *gestures to Marinette because she is the ultimate bro*"  
Adrien: "Wait, that's not who-"  
Alya: "The ho said no???"  
Marinette, (confused and oblivious): "Who the @#$% are you calling a ho?!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, three 6 months hiatuses in a row!! That's gotta be some kind of record. 
> 
> Jokes aside, I swear I want to finish this, life just keeps getting in the way. 
> 
> Hopefully the next update won't be 6 months from now, but no promises!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

The stares directed at Marinette when she walked into the classroom were so intense that they threatened to turn the hot latte in her hand ice cold. Marinette had never seen the class so quiet, even when she walked in 20-something minutes late. Marinette was perfectly on time today, miraculously. She had, once again, slept through her alarm -- and even through her mother’s warnings. However, as if the universe had perfectly aligned in favor of non-tardiness, she somehow made it across every crosswalk just before the lights turned red.

Maybe the stares were because everyone was shocked to see her there early?

Not knowing what else to do, Marinette bared her teeth in an awkward smile and waved at the room. 

Most of her classmates looked away just as awkwardly. Chloe didn't. Her stare turned from one of shock to disgust, which was a much more familiar reaction for her.

After realizing she had been standing in the doorway for an uncomfortable amount of time, Marinette figured she should make her way to her seat. Unfortunately, she subsequently realized that doing so meant she would have to walk by Adrien. Adrien, who loved her and didn't know it. Adrien, who had no idea that she had _ kissed _ him the night before. 

Marinette froze, her face flushing. Tikki, as if she had anticipated this, immediately nudged her from inside her purse. Right. They had talked about this. Multiple times over. She had prepared for this. She had no reason to be nervous. Nothing she did as Marinette would change his feelings for her, so she had every reason to be confident in herself. She had promised herself and Tikki that she would act like a totally normal person around Adrien, starting today. 

So, Marinette steeled herself, walked- no, _ strut _ her way over to Adrien's desk, and smiled at him. 

"Good morning, Adrien!" She said, looking straight into his eyes, which looked a bit bewildered. No stutter. She heard a few gasps from various parts of the room. Probably from her friends who were proud of her for finally talking to him without tripping all over herself. "How are you today?" 

Silence.

Adrien stared at her, and, despite how tempted she was to look away, she maintained eye contact. Normal people could keep eye contact, even with their crush. 

"I-" Adrien started. He glanced around for a moment, before abruptly slamming his head on the desk and keeping it there. 

"Oh…" Marinette started. That was a little bit weird, but she couldn't say that she had never felt the same way early in the morning. She let out a small giggle. "Well, I hope you feel better." She said, still smiling at him, though she knew he couldn't see it. Feeling quite proud of herself, she strode up to her desk and plopped herself down on her chair.

"Holy shit," Alix muttered quietly from behind her. 

A strange tension hung in the room for a few moments, only partially dissipating when Ms. Bustier cleared her throat and began class. Marinette couldn’t help but to feel a little embarrassed that a 2 second conversation would cause her classmates to be so bewildered, though, she supposed she couldn’t blame them. Just yesterday, she couldn’t even say "hi" to Adrien without stuttering up a storm. Figuring Alya would be immensely proud of her, Marinette turned to face her, a smug grin on her face. She was met with pure bafflement.

“What the hell was _ that _?” Alya whispered between gritted teeth.

“I know, that was pretty great, right?” Marinette beamed. 

  
“Wh-” Alya started. She was clearly at a loss for words. Marinette felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment wash over her. The two of them had worked for _months _to get her to this point. Of course, Alya didn’t know that it took Adrien confessing his love to her to get her there...

“Girl, we need to _ talk. _” Alya hissed, leaning in closer. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you wha-”

Marinette was interrupted by Adrien abruptly jumping out of his seat, hand raised.

“Ms. Bustier!” He said urgently. “I need to go to the bathroom.” Ms. Bustier didn’t even have a chance to answer before Adrien turned around, marched to the side of Marinette’s desk, and grabbed her by the arm. 

“I need to take Marinette with me so that I...” He started, looking around nervously. “Don’t… get lost...” With that, Adrien pulled Marinette out of her seat and started dragging her towards the classroom door. 

“Wait-!” Marinette shouted, more in surprise than in protest. 

“I think the fuck not!” Alya yelled, standing up and slamming her hands on the desk. Marinette instinctively cringed, and Adrien stopped in tracks, looking back at Alya with wide and terrified eyes. From her tone and language, Alya was suddenly in full-fledged “Protect Marinette” mode. 

  
“Actually, Ms. Bustier,” Alya stalked towards the two with scary speed. She yanked Marinette’s other arm, pulling her away from Adrien, who stood frozen like a deer in headlights. She glared at him with an animal-like furiosity, and he flinched away. “Me and Marinette aren’t feeling too well, we’re gonna go to the nurse.” She said as she towed Marinette into the hallway. 

“Alya! What’re you- Ow! You’re hurting my arm! Slow down!” Marinette’s protests fell onto deaf ears as Alya led her further into the hallway, nearly pulling her arm out of socket in the process. When they were nearly halfway to the commons, Marinette finally planted her feet and pulled away. “What’s going on?” She spat, louder than she intended to. 

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out!” Alya spat back. “What did he do to you? I swear I’ll kill him, just tell me what he did!” Marinette blinked.

“Huh? Who?” 

“Adrien!” Alya said, gesturing back towards their classroom. “Clearly, he screwed up enough to make you of all people _get over_ him _ and _ rub it in his face in front of the whole class! Somehow, _ something _happened between you two since yesterday and I need to know what!” Marinette paled.

“N- Nothing happened! I swear!” She said, rather unconvincingly. She felt her cheeks betraying her. Alya stared at her flatly as she wildly tried to defend herself. “I had a totally normal night! After we got off facetime I finished my homework and I went straight to bed and this morning I-” Marinette paused for a moment. “Wait.” She said, suddenly processing Alya’s full sentence. “I’m not _ over _Adrien. Who told you that?” 

“You did, when you waltzed into the classroom this morning and had a normal conversation with him!” Alya pointed an accusatory finger in her face. Marinette reached up and slowly moved Alya’s finger down to meet her gaze.

“I don’t get it. Didn’t you want me to be able to have a normal conversation with him? Isn’t that a good thing?” Alya pursed her lips. With a wrinkled face, she studied Marinette, looking her up and down. Marinette shrinked under the scrutiny. She felt as if she had done something wrong, but she had no idea what it was.

“Oh my God.” Alya suddenly said, her face softening. “You didn’t actually say no, did you?” 

“What?” 

“Obviously _ something _ happened yesterday.” Marinette opened her mouth to protest, but Alya put a finger to her lips. “Don’t deny it, you’re a bad liar, and I can read you like a book.” Marinette stiffened. Technically, something _ did _ happen between Marinette and Adrien -- something _ amazing _\-- but no one else would know that, not even Adrien himself. It would jeopardize her identity if anyone found out.

“But,” Alya continued. “Clearly, one of- or actually, probably both of you guys, being the adorably oblivious idiots you are, misunderstood each other. So…” Alya grabbed Marinette by the shoulders, and turned her around, back towards their class. “We just gotta get this sorted out!” Alya pushed her forwards, leading her down the hallway. Marinette dug her heels in to stop her. 

“Wait, Alya,” She said, turning back to face her. “I’m honestly really confused. What are you even talking about?” 

“See, this is what I’m saying! You’re both clueless!” Alya shook her head and chuckled. “Honestly, _ who knows _ what really happened at this point, but Adrien said he asked you out and you said no.” 

Wait, what? 

Marinette nearly stumbled and fell over, despite the fact that she wasn’t even walking. 

“I should have known something was up, because there’s no way you would ever reject _Adrien_.” Alya continued, unaware of Marinette’s sudden dilemma. 

“He said… he asked _ me _out?” Marinette was whispering, for some reason.

“Yeah, and-”

“_Marinette _?”

“That’s, what I just said…” 

It was true. Adrien did ask out Marinette, but not as Marinette. He had asked out Ladybug. He didn't know that Marinette was Ladybug. Why would he tell everyone he had asked out Marinette? He wouldn’t lie about something like that. It was impossible. It didn’t make sense. Unless… 

Did Adrien _ know _ that Marinette was Ladybug? The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating, and it was the only explanation Marinette could come up with. If he knew, that meant he knew he was confessing to Marinette, and not just Ladybug! Which also meant that Adrien was asking _Marinette _out as _Marinette. _She had (kind of) turned him down as Ladybug for his safety, but as Marinette, she had no reason to! And yet, he must have believed she was turning him down as both _Ladybug_ and _Marinette_! Yes, everything made sense to her. She just had to-

“Anyways, we have to go fix this, cause everyone is kind of up in arms about it.”

Marinette was suddenly snapped out of her muses.

“Everyone?” She hissed. Alya chuckled nervously.

“I may have accidentally overheard Adrien and Nino talking about it and gotten a little too loud in my disbelief…”

Marinette felt her eye twitching. That would explain the strange stares she had received when she walked in that morning, and the disproportionate bewilderment when she struck up a conversation with him. _ Everyone _thought that Adrien had asked Marinette out, and that she had said no. Which, she had just learned, was kind of true. But still. 

“But it’s okay! This is all one big miscommunication! We’ll clear it up no problem.” Alya gave Marinette a pat on the back, urging her forward. Of course. A miscommunication. Not nearly as bad as a misunderstanding. Those were much harder to deal with. But Marinette could handle a miscommunication. 

Marinette was practically prancing as they made their way back towards the classroom. Of course, she would have to handle this subtly, so as not to reveal to much to her classmates, particularly to Alya, who was sharp as a pin. But, all she had to do was assure Adrien that she hadn't rejected him to appease everyone. He would probably be confused, but she could explain the details to him later. 

Just as they were approaching the classroom door, some sort of explosion sounded from inside. Marinette instinctively grabbed Alya, pulling her away. Pink smoke billowed out from under the door, just moments before it burst open. 

Adrien sprinted out of the room, dragging Nino behind him. 

“It’s an Akuma! Run!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I much prefer writing comedic scenes from Adrien's POV, but I think this turned out semi-ok? 
> 
> Marinette sure is jumping to conclusions here, I wonder how that's gonna turn out for her :) Surely everything is gonna turn out totally fine. This is 100% just a fluff fic :))))
> 
> Those darn Akumas, always coming in at the worst of times and making things 10 times more chaotic!


End file.
